Warning: Spoilers ahead for It: Welcome to Derry episode 3!The comparisons were already being made, but It: Welcome to Derry episode 3 just made it impossible not to compare the show to Netflix’s Stranger Things. Coincidentally, the two series will become streaming rivals in a few short weeks, since Welcome to Derry will still be airing new episodes as Volume 1 of Stranger Things‘ final season drops on November 26th.
While Stranger Things leans more into sci-fi elements, both shows are considered supernatural horror, with a young group of characters serving as the heart of the story. It: Welcome to Derry’s characters include what many are considering the prequel’s own version of the Losers’ Club from the original Stephen King story. Not only did these characters draw comparisons to the original “Losers” in episode 3, but one particular scene proved why Welcome to Derry won’t be able to avoid links to Stranger Things.
It: Welcome to Derry episode 3’s ending finally teased an appearance by Pennywise in his clown form. The reveal was seen in one of the pictures the kids captured in the local Derry graveyard as they attempted to acquire proof of whatever killed Teddy, Phil, and Susie. Lilly needed proof so she wouldn’t be sent back to Juniper Hill Asylum, but she also wanted to help prove that Ronnie’s dad was innocent. Taking the photos in the cemetery, however, felt like a sequence straight out of Stranger Things.
It: Welcome To Derry Episode 3’s Graveyard Scene Had Major Stranger Things Vibes
Like the core group in Hawkins going up against dangerous threats, the kids in Derry’s 1962 timeline decided to draw out the entity to obtain proof that it’s real. Rich suggested a ritual in the local graveyard, which resulted in a chaotic sequence involving the ghosts of Pennywise’s victims chasing Rich, Will, Lilly, and Ronnie through the cemetery. What’s more, the chase scene featured a few details that Stranger Things fans would be familiar with.
Throughout Stranger Things‘ first four seasons, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will commonly get around by riding bikes. The kids in Derry have done the same, which makes sense due to their age. Granted, it was not just the presence of the bikes in the graveyard scene that gave It: Welcome to Derry episode 3 some serious Stranger Things vibes.
When the group was being chased by the ghosts, the cemetery ground started to rumble and fracture. The cracks seemingly revealed the reddish glow of hell, which looked eerily similar to something out of the Upside Down in Stranger Things. Many of Pennywise’s attacks are often fear-induced hallucinations, and interestingly, Stranger Things‘ main villain, Vecna, also has powers that involve projecting hallucinations.
It: Welcome To Derry & Stranger Things Already Have Several Similarities
Aside from the graveyard scene in It: Welcome to Derry episode 3, the prequel show had already presented other elements commonly linked to Stranger Things. Welcome to Derry started with Matty’s disappearance, causing his peers to investigate, while the events of Stranger Things began when Will Byers went missing. Both shows also feature a small town, supernatural aspects, and authoritative groups carrying out secret programs.
The comparisons are not meant to suggest that It: Welcome to Derry stole concepts from Stranger Things. In fact, Stranger Things‘ creators, the Duffer Brothers, have been open about Stephen King being one of their inspirations behind Stranger Things, including It. The inspiration for the Hawkins kids going up against an evil force can easily be connected to the Losers’ Club, but that doesn’t mean the concept was directly copied.
Seeing as Stranger Things has been one of the most popular shows of the past decade, being compared to the title should be seen as a positive. Of course, Stranger Things is ending with season 5, so fans of the Netflix series will need a proper replacement, which very well could be Welcome to Derry. Though the show hasn’t been renewed yet, It: Welcome to Derry has already set up seasons 2 and 3, keeping hope alive that the series could have a long run on HBO.
New episodes of It: Welcome to Derry release Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
